Connecticut western news., 1887-09-07
THROUGH A CYCLONE.
THE KNICKERBOCkE HAS A
 TERRIBLE EXEPRIENCE.
Completely yDismantled, but All Pas.
 sengers and Crew Alive.

NEW ORLEANS, La., Sept. 3.-Few persons 1.-Two to relate such experiences as hefell the passengers, officers, and crew of the Cromwell Line Steamship Knickerbocker. She was four days overdue, and many people in the city gave up the vessel and all on board as lost It was not until the news that the steamship had crossed the bar was received and bulletined, that the alarm and excitement was allayed
 The Cromwell wharf was lined with an eager crowd, in which were many ladies. As the Knckerboeker came up tho river rockets were sent up from many points and about tha wharf cheers on cheers rang out, ansM cred faintly from those on board. glance at the vessel showed that she had hada terrific strug- gle with the storm.
 The bulwarks and half deck were washed away. Only the stanchions remained, and pieces Of blanks, oars, and spinters were lashed to these, forming an lmproviSed rail. The iron stanchions were bent and twisted out of all shape. T. glasses in the skylishts and portholes were broken and cracked The bull warks of the vessel, port and starboard, were stove in, and the pianking and iron was raised from the upper to the main deck of the vessel from the foremast to the after cabin.
 The Knickerbocker sailed from New York August 20, and next day she encountered a strong swell from the northeast. The steam CT passed Cape Hatteras at midnight. The swells continued to increase, and at four o'c,o K the next afternoon there was every il- dication of bad weather, and all possible
 
 ing from the southeast and the swell kept in- crcasing. At 3 a. m., Aug. 23, the wind had n2reuscd to such 6 point that all sail fut.el. The weath;r then became rainy, with heavy squalls, and by B. m it was blowing gale from the eastwa d. At 1 D. m. the ship was headed to sea. Three hours later it Was blowing heavy gale. The v> sscl was ship ping large quantities of water, and the wave carried away the bulwar.is on her starboard , side. At p. m she shipped heavy sea on tnc port side, smashing in her bulwarhs, bending the iron stauchons from the fore rigging aft, smashing skylights, and washing overboa, q all movab!es on deck. Then heavy sea on the starboard side washed away the port lifeboat, the gangways, life buckets and racks, the after compass, and three wagons on the after hatch. It unshipped the ventilators leading to tho fire room and washed one of them overheard. The wind and sea kept in- creasing, the ship giving some tremendous lurches, and breaking the bolts which securel the port water tank, sending it flying across the deck backward and forward with great force. The same sea smashed the vegetable boats to pieces and did othe damage on deck.
 At 10 on Aug. 23 First Offer Sherwood and one man were washed overboarl and returned by the sea. At the same time Second Officer Bennett and three men were badly injured. When in latitude 30 degrees north the wind blew with great fury and gradually hauled to ! the northward. The was one mass of foam, \ the spoondrift was flying with the force of fshot, and mass of water seemed to cover the whole ship, filling the staterooms and saloon on deck At 9 on Aug. 24 her port wheel ropes parted, leaving the ship at the mercy of the sea. From to 6 there was such continuous bowling of the wind that it was impossible to hear anything on deck.
 At noon the wind moderated slightly, blow ing from the northwest. Still there was ter rible swell, but the barometer, which had fal- len as low as 20 was now rising By mid night the weather had moderated, though a heavy sea was still running. This was fol- lowed by fine weather to the Passes.